Help Vote to Brand a Nation

Based on the directions of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the world is invited to take part in selecting one of the 5 design concepts that have made the final cut. “Many countries around the world actively promote their Nation Brand, or a unique and memorable visual identity, to summarize the major distinctive features of their country, establish a unique position in people’s minds, and serve national interests.” – Source

The nation brand logo is not a new logo for the government, but instead a promotional logo for the UAE that shall be used to tell its story through numerous applications such as national advertisements, regional and international promotional events, TV shows, printed materials, etc.

The UAE asks that when choosing, select the nation brand design that reflects the UAE’s global economic and political status and its diverse and attractive cultural and business environment, which make it a leading destination for tourism, economic, and cultural activities.

Here is a look at the five identities created along with descriptions:

1. Fabric of Society:

This route was inspired by the beautiful fabrics and patterns created by Emirati artists throughout the ages. As the men and women weave the fabrics, a sense of culture and society is also reinforced. The narrative of ‘fabric of society’ is visualized and expressed in the word mark and identity system. The repeating lines always appear in groups of seven, representing the seven Emirates. The varied colors are derived from the actual colors present in Emirati art and craft, and not least, the UAE flag.

2. Brilliant Evolution

A country is so much more than its wealth, physical borders, infrastructure, laws and institutions. What makes a country great is its inspirational people and knowledge held within them. This route is a symbolic expression of the different facets and people that make up the UAE; The actual Map of the country and the seven Emirates make up the basic shape of the symbol. The seven facets represent the brilliance of the people within the seven Emirates – all united as one.

3. ‘You’ Can be Anything

In a growing, dynamic and diverse country there are an infinite number of possibilities. Every person, in his or her own way contributes to the great future of the UAE. This route was developed as a reflection of this diversity – a symbol representative of the change, flexibility and continual growth that is the UAE of tomorrow. The ‘U’ element in the mark can be anything you wish it to be – and the people of the UAE are invited to create their own versions of the ‘U’. Distinctly ‘future’ looking, this identity symbolizes the future of the UAE.

4. Vivid Tapestry

In order to move successfully into the future, a country must know its past. Learning from mistakes and successes is part of the growth process. The rich heritage and balanced Emirati culture of the seven combined Emirates are contained and balanced within a traditional Kufi script – a route where even when written in English, the appearance is unmistakably Emirati.

5. All Encompassing

No nation ever stands still – and the UAE is an example of a nation at the leading edge of dynamism in the world. Things don’t just move here at normal speed – they happen at the speed of light – the UAE is constantly changing, adapting and exploring its potential in the world. A symbol was created to demonstrate this constant state of dynamic evolution – a symbol simple enough to be memorized by the people.

Matt Cannon is a Freelance Graphic Designer & Creative Director living in Brooklyn, NY. He was born with a computer mouse in hand and hasn’t put it down since. He has over 10 years of experience designing strong, effective corporate brand identity and specializes in website composites, logos, print and brainstorming and designing user interfaces for web and mobile environments. Check out his portfolio and read more of his articles here.

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